Murray corrington



No. 608,030. Patented July 26, I808.

M. CORRINGTON.

AIR BRAKE.

(Application filed Apr. 26, 1898.) (No Model.)

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MURRAY OORRINGTON, OF NElV YORIQ'N. Y.

AIR-BRAKE.

SPEGIFIGATION fQrming part of Letters Patent No. 608,030, dated July 26, 1898. Application filed April 26, 1898. Serial No. 678,827. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MURRAY CORBINGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel form of construction of a quick-acting triple valve and includes the elements of novelty pointed out in the following specification, and more particularly in the claims hereto annexed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis the usual vertical section through a quick-acting triple valve and illustrating my improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar section through a portion of a quick-acting triplevalve casing, illustrating a modified form of construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a modified detail, and Fig. 4 is a view of the main slide-valve seat of Figs. 1 and 2.

Going first to Fig. 1, the casing is composed of parts 1, 2, and 3. The triple valve operates in the main casing 1 and includes the piston 4, mainvalve 5, spring 6, and gradu ating-valve 7. All these parts operate in the usual manner familiar to those skilled in the art. Casing 2 also contains the graduatingstem 8, spring 9, and nut 10, which serve the usual purpose. The exhaust-port A leads to the atmosphere, the port or passage B leads to the brake-cylinder, and the port 0 leads from the triple-valve chamber into the vertical chamber V in which the piston 63 oper ates.

The casing 3 has the usual train-pipe nozzle attached thereto and is fastened directly to the main casing 1 of the triple valve on the under side thereof. Seated in casing 3 is the valve 41 underneath and in line with the movement of the piston 63, opening toward and controlling the exhaust of air from the trainpipe. Between the piston 63 and valve 41 is a closed wall 3, which is permanently connected with the casing 3. A stem 11 extends through an opening in the wall 3 and operates air-tight therein, whereby the downward movement of the piston 63 maybe communicated to the valve 41, and the upward movement of the valve 41 may also be communicated to the piston 63. A stuffing-box 12, Fig. 1, may be employed to make more certain the non-passage of air through said wall '3 around the stem 11.

Underneath the valve 41 is a valve 13, clos ing toward the train-pipe, and a suitable spring 14 tends to hold both said valves 41 and 13 closed and to close either or both when opened from any cause. The valve 13 is preferably seated in a valve-case 15, which is screwed into position, and to permit of this a su fficient opening is made in the lower part of the casing 3, which is closed by the removable cap 16.

From the chamber in the casing 3 between the valve 41 and the wall 3 one or more suitable vent-passages 3 provide for the escape of train-pipe air that is vented past the valve 41 on the opening thereof. The opening 3 may, if desired, be controlled by a valve device, as shown in Fig. 1, including the case orbox l7 and valve 18, opening toward the atmosphere, which latter may be held to its seat by a spring 19, adjusted to any desired tension, or said port 3 may remain open without said valve device.

T In the operation of the apparatus, Fig. l, the usual moderate reductions of train-pipe pressure cause the triple valve to move to the left against the graduating-stop, when the Valve 7 admits air from auxiliary reservoir to cylinder in the usual way. Upon the greater reductions of train-pipe pressure usual for setting the brakes with full ,force the triple valve moves through its full traverse to the left, again opening a passage from reservoir to cylinder and also causing the main slidevalve to uncover the comparatively large passage 0, leading from the triple-valve chamber into the chamber V (See Figs. 1 and 4.) This opening of the passage 0 permits the introduction of air under pressure in comparatively large volume into the chamber V above the piston 63, which will move the same downwardly and through the stem 11 open the valve 41. The air in the lower part of the casing 3 thereupon lifts the valve 13 and flows out of the train-pipe past both valves 13 and 41 to the chamber on the under side of the partition 3 and thence through the port 3 past the valve 18, &c. As already explained, the

ten to forty pounds, more or lessor if the device 17 is removed the spring 14 may be made as stout as desired. The equalization of auxiliary-reservoir and brake-cylinder pressures quickly follows, whereupon thespring 14 closes both valves 41 and 13 and moves the piston 63 back to normal position.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the partition or wall 3 having one or more ports bored in it and closed by the plugs 31. The device may, if desired, be originally made in this form and operated so for any desired length of time, and at some future time the plugs 31 may be removed and employed, instead of the device 17, to stop up the ports 3 supposing that the two sets of ports are of the same size, so that the air may thereafter be exhaustedto the brake-cylinder.

In Fig. 2 are illustrated some changes of construction and some additions. Instead of a stuffing-box to assist in preventing any flow of air in either direction through the wall 3 around the stem 11, a suitable air-tight bushing 12, with or without the gasket 12", may beemployed, as shown. The devices 12, Fig. 1, and 12 and 12, Fig. 2, are for the purpose of making sure that no air shall pass in either direction through the wall 3. In this figure an additional spring 20 is inserted to assist in controlling the valves 41 and 13. I prefer to make said spring of suitable strength and of such length that it shall offer little or no resistan cc to the initial downward movement of the valve 41; but after both valves 41 and 13 are opened the spring 20 will exert considerable force in tending to close both valves. The primary purpose of this additional spring is to assist in closing the valve 13 at the proper time to hold any desired pressure in the trainpipe after said valve is opened; but if its upper end is placed against the valve 41 it will tend to close both valves. It will be evident that practically the same result can be accomplished by making the spring 14 stronger. In the cap 16 a suitable vent-port may be made and controlled by a valve 21, which is normally seated by the spring 22 and is operated by the valve 13. When the valve 13 is opened, it lifts the valve 21 from its seat and allows any water that has condensed in the casing to be blown out, as well as vents some of the train-pipe air, whose quantity will be determined by the size of the port, the length of time the valve 21 remains open, (to.

Fig. 1, as shown, vents the air through the the port 3 to the atmosphere.

In Fig. 2 we may assume that the train-pipe air may be vented to any place desired, for a pipe l6 may be inserted in the case or box 17, and this may lead to the atmosphere or to some other desired place, such as the brakecylinder, just as the pipe 16 leads in WVestinghouse Patent No. 448,827, dated March 24, 1891. In the latter event the spring 19 on the check-valve 18 would preferably be comparatively light.

It will be observed that when the triple valve moves to service position, Fig. 1, air is admitted from reservoir to cylinder through one passage onlythat is, the passage in the slide-valve controlled by the valve 7 and the passage B; but when the triple valve moves through its full traverse to the left reservoirair is admitted to the brake-cylinder not only through the passage B, but also through the passage 0 and chamber V around the piston 63. This allows a very rapid expansion of the auxiliary-reservoir pressure to the brakecylinder. If the piston 63 is made about two and one-half inches in diameter without a packing-ring and fits in its chamber easily or loosely,there will be a very small space around the piston between it and the bushing, and this will allow ample space for a quick expansion of the reservoir-pressure to the cylinder. As matter of fact, such expansion is practically instantaneous, and no other provision need be made. If still further means be desired, it may be provided by making a small port in the piston 63, as shown in Fig. .1.

In Fig 2 a still further means is shown of permitting a rapid expansion of reservoir pressure to the cylinder when the brakes are to be set in emergencies. In this construction is shown a vertical piston-chamber V underneath the triple-valve chamber, a port 0 of comparatively large size leading from the triple-valve chamber into the vertical chamber,which is normally closed by the main slide-valve, but is opened by said valve and a large volume of air admitted into said chamber when the triple valve moves through its full traverse in order to set the brakes with full force, a piston moving within a bushing or lining thereof and having a tubular extension 42 and lateral slots or ports through the walls of the tubular extension, which are closed to the brake-cylinder by the bushing or lining of the vertical piston-chamber while the piston isin the upper part of the chamber, but which are opened when the piston is forced downward by the air admitted thereto from the auxiliary reservoir, so that the lateral slots and ports fall below the lining of the piston-chamber. I merely describe this as a convenient construction for allowing a rapid expansion of reservoir-pressure to the cylinder; but I do not claim it as my invention, because the construction which I have above described is the same as that in the expired patent to George Westinghouse, Jr. No. 235,922, dated December 28, 1880, and I have preferred to make use of the reference-letters from said patent. This piston 63 has a tubular extension o,which slides like a piston inside the chamber V From this chamber is a slit or port a in the tubular extension 1) to register with the port min the bush or lining of the chamber. Other ports 11, are also made in this tubular extension, for purposes presently to be explained. A pin 00, on which the tubular extension plays, by a slit cc prevents the rotation of the extension. If then at the same time, either accidentally or by design, or in consequence of IIO leakage, it be desired to employ the automatic system of operation to set the brakes with full force, the auxiliary reservoir is charged (if not already charged) and on the sufficient reduction of the pressure in the brakepipe the triple valve is shifted so as to let the pressure pass from the reservoir, shift the triple-valve piston and slide-valve so as to uncover the port G,and thence through this latter port into the tubular extension 41. holes a and slit made in the walls of the tubular extension v, outside of the bush or lining at that end of the chamber V and causes them to open into the chamber V, and it will be observed that this end of the piston has a cylindrical part if, so that the ports 11/ a are not uncovered until the valve 41 is 7 opened.

The apparatus described I propose to use either as ordinary or quick-acting automatic, with a single line of pipe, or what is still better I propose either method of operation at pleasure, or sometimes one and sometimes the other. For holding a long passenger or freight train in check on a long downgrade the automatic method of working is in some respects preferable, whereas for stopping purposes, particularly in an emergency, the quick-acting automatic is much better.- Hence on roads in hilly or mountainous regions it is well to have both methods available at the pleasure of the engineer, and in such use the automatic apparatus should always be kept charged and in usable condition, so that it may be made available for an emergency stop or in case of accident, as well as for ordinary stops.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified construction of the cage 15, valve 13, and supplemental spring 20. This device may be inserted in place of the corresponding. devices in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 2. If Fig. 3 be employed, it will be an easy matter to adapt the spring 20 to close the valve 13 and hold it closed-as quickly as the train-pipe pressure has been reduced to any desired point. The hollow center of the valve 13 is to accommodate the spring 14, just as in the other figures.

The cap 2 and its inclosed parts, the upper part of the casing 1, and the triple valve of This brings the Fig. 1 are the same in Fig. 2 when it is made complete.

I claim 1. In a quick-action triple valve, the combination of a triple valve, a vertical chamber underneath the triple valve chamber, an emergency-piston working therein and actuated by pressure from an auxiliary reservoir, upon the second or further traverse of the triple valve, in direction to impart opening movement to an emergency-valve, a servicepassage leading from the auxiliary reservoir to the brake-cylinder outside and independent of the emergency-piston chamber, a supplemental-casing section provided with a trainpipe connection and connected directly to the main casing of the triple valve on the under side thereof, an em ergency-valve seated in the supplemental-casing section underneath the emergency-piston, openingtoward the trainpipe and protected from the pressure which has been admitted to the brake-cylinder, for

controlling communication between said supplemental-casing section and a discharge-passage, a closed wall, permanently connected with the supplemental-casin g section,be tween the emergency-piston and the emergencyvalve, a stem working through an opening in said wall by which opening movement is imparted to the emergency-valve by the emergency-piston, means for preventing the air from passing through said opening around said stem, and a passage controlled by the triple valve and connecting its chamber with the emergency-piston chamber, which is independent of the service-passage from reservoir to cylinder.

2. In an automatic fluid-pressure brake system, the combination of a triple valve, an

emergency-valve, a check-valve opened by train-pipe pressure on the opening of the emergency-valve and a valve, independent of said check-valve but operated thereby, for controlling a vent-port from the train-pipe to the atmosphere.

MURRAY CORRINGTON.

Witnesses MAURICE SPILLANE,

HERMAN PARKUS. 

